7 years later, Franklin County Sheriff's Office has suspect in Heather Hodges case

Heather Hodges was 22 when she was reported missing

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Authorities say they have a suspect in a cold case that has shaken the Franklin County community.

It's been seven years since Heather Hodges vanished.

Hodges, then 22, was reported missing by her boyfriend in 2012. Different investigators have been assigned to her case over the years.

The sheriff's office is not yet ready to provide the public with details on the suspect, as they are working to ensure a conviction. Sheriff Bill Overton has previously said that not having a body makes it harder to solve the case.

The Sheriff's Office says it had a suspect last year and is continuing to turn up new information.

According to court documents, her boyfriend said that Hodges left their home and never came back. After police searched the home, they found Hodges' "fresh blood" on a doorknob.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office just released this statement on the case: "Please know that we have been, and continue to, work diligently to solve the disappearance of Heather Hodges."

10 News spoke to Hodges' mother, Paula Hodges, back in 2014.

"It's horrifying. It's a rough journey every day," Paula Hodges said. "It's hard for me to get out of bed every day."

Community members gathered in Rocky Mount on Tuesday for a candlelight vigil marking the seventh anniversary of Heather Hodges' disappearance.